New Smart Collar Tracks Your Dog's Health

ANDOVER (CBS) -- A new dog collar is helping to take the guess work out of figuring out when your dog is sick, and it's being put to the test in Massachusetts.

The PetPace wearable monitor gives owners and vets up-to-the-minute readings about a pet's health. It has sensors that monitor a dog's vital signs around the clock, including temperature, pulse and respiration. It also measures pain and calorie intake.

Jayne Gandrup says the collar helps her keep a close eye on her 6-year-old pug Charlie's health.

"I love the idea of being able to watch and monitor the inside of him," the Sudbury resident said. "Because he can't tell me when he doesn't feel well."

Pet information is available online or on your smartphone. You can check how active your pet is - see if they're running around, lying down or taking a nap.

Andover Animal Hospital is one of the first in the country to use the technology.

Veterinarian Jasmin Keramaty says the collar helps monitor animals with chronic problems and can detect health issues early.

"Is that pet going to the food bowl less- or are they going to the water bowl twice as much as they used to be?" Keramaty said. "Those can be markers for a lot of metabolic diseases like kidney disease or diabetes."

That's reassuring for Gandrup, who lost her last dog to cancer.

"He's our baby now," she said. "So I want to make sure we keep on top of his health."

The $150 collar is only available for dogs now but a cat version will be released in December. The collar requires a $15 monthly subscription to run the software.

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